Children & Butterflies: A Meme & Beautiful Lessons For Teachers, Parents & Writers

Above, I found the meme on Facebook; I can't trace its origins, so I can't credit it. As a teacher and parent and writer, I love it!

A child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown)

Beautiful, isn't it?

Each child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown, edited by Frank A Hilario)

Roses have thorns; which version has a thorn nobody saw before?

When I googled for "a child is like a butterfly in the wind" exactly like that line including the double quotes, I got 365,000 results. Not popular enough; should run like 365 million results. Anyway, I never go for the popular – I always go for the jugular. The popular makes you smile; the jugular makes you think!

Now, why do I have an edited version of my own? Let me now explain why.

The original first line, which is catchy, is this: "A child is like a butterfly in the wind." That is grammatically correct. But it becomes incorrect when considered with the rest of the text. This is singular in number: "A child is like a butterfly," which is poetic and flawless. But it is followed by "Some can fly…" which is plural in number. In grammar, you cannot mix numbers just like that!

The original "A child is like a butterfly" reflects only singularity but does not imply a collection. My edited line, with just the very first word changed, "Each child is like a butterfly" instantly conjures a number of children, such as the above image shows, and makes the whole quote complete and cute!

Ah, but I have just began my excursion into this meme.

I am a teacher, and I say: "Teacher, each child learns best what it secretly wants best."

I am not talking of Learning Styles; I am talking of each child's hidden/unhidden personal talents, whether or not related to any of Harvard Professor Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, from which has been derived Learning Styles.

I am a parent, and I say: "Parent, each child is different."

Treat your children differently. While doing that, you must look for the good of your whole family.

I am a writer, and I say: "Each child is a village."

All children belong in a society. As a writer, you must look for, you must write for the village good!

Each child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
but each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
(Author Unknown, edited by Frank A Hilario)

Beautiful!@517